Jane Doe

I am the feeling of uncertainty
you get when he comes home
smelling better than when he left.

I am the reason things seem out of order,
even though everything is in its place.

I am the manifestation of the elephant in the room.

My identity is irrelevant yet the image of me haunts you,
causing your sudden onset of paranoia.

My presence sends your woman’s intuition into a frenzy;
but pushing your inner snooze button
only silences the alarm temporarily.

I am his escape from the mundane,
and I fill the void you, nor he, can fill.

I am every derogatory word towards a female in the English language.

I am the source of your anxiety and insecurities,
and I rob you daily of your self-worth.

I am everything you will never be.
I am always the appetizer, never the main course.
I am Jane Doe.